Disclamer: everything
This is first chapter, first story. AU and only a tiny bit Zutara.
Takes place a few years after a AU day of black sun, backstory coming later
What an interesting thing it is, where people eventually end up. So far from where they started, where they thought they'd go.
She let her fingers trail on the edge of her glass. They would come. They always did. It had taken a while to get the hang of it, but she was an expert now.
It was like fishing. If you did certain things, and then didn't let yourself get frustrated with waiting, they would come.
Soon now. She let her eyes trail across the inside of the dimly-lit bar. It was the usual crowd; traders, travelers, merchants, drunk locals. There was arm-wrestling in the corner, with much grunting and cheering. She couldn't really see past the onlookers, but it seemed like someone in the corner was on a roll, a glinting pile of bets at his side.
The stool to the left of her scraped. A bite, earth kingdom fish on the line.
Katara sipped the last of her drink, and glanced over. The man was too young, he probably snuck in here.
"What is a pretty girl like you doing in such a dive?" His voice held the smallest trace of sarcasm. She hated guys with sarcasm, but smiled anyway.
"I could ask the same of you." He chuckled, and smirked. Spirits, she hated him.
"Fair enough, I'm Dath, Can I get you something?"
She drew a thinking finger to the line of her jaw, but he was already motioning the bar tender for another of whatever she already had.
This was too easy. A seductive blue-eyed glance and these peasants were at her feet.
She hated the funny ones, the ones with the appetites and cocky smirks.
They were too much like Him. She never let them go when she got them. Catch and release was a practice she knew that He had always hated. Not that he had meant anything but fish.
If He could only see her now, using his fishing strategies to catch, well, men like Him. Like Sokka. To let them lead her home with them, and wake up with a bruise on the skull and an empty purse. The quick ones noticed the puddle of water on the floor.
If only they knew, mugged by The Waterbender. The one who fought beside The Avatar. It has hilarious when she heard songs about herself. Nobody got anything right, not even her name, not his name.
She was just the heroine with the blue eyes and the warrior heart, the funny little furred dress, and the hair loopies. Not that anyone ever sang about those.
Nobody ever had a good ending. Katara had heard so many endings. That she was to be re-incarnated with the avatar, that she was still alive in a fire nation prison, that the had escaped to the north pole to raise the new last airbender. Hah, like she and Aang ever did anything.
Like this little boy next to her knew that this young woman in the tight black silk with the silver trim was the one in the balled they were singing across the bar.
She could get enough money for a good dinner if she played it right. So she flirted, and sipped, while Dath gulped, and told her about himself.
"I might be one of the greatest earthbenders in the country!" He flexed a bicep for emphasis. She smiled, and dryly thought back to the little girl with the pom-pom headband who could throw a fire navy ship with a flick of her wrist.
The crowd around the arm-wrestlers roared. It seemed they had a winner. She looked over.
A man tried to leave the huddle, laughing off the congratulations. She couldn't see his face in the crowd, but from what she could see, he was obviously Firenation, and a full purse swung at his belt. There were bigger fish in this pond, even with her usual rule about no firebenders.
Maybe not tonight, but she could come back tomorrow.
Then she saw his hairstyle. Shaved head, wrapped ponytail swinging behind. Good Tui and La, it brought back memories. Was this an anniversary or something? Nobody should have that kind of hair.
An irritated Dath broke through her thoughts.
"Where you even listening?" He scowled.
"Yes, Yes, greatest earthbender in the country, I was listening." He looked skeptical, but pleased. What a dumbass.
She tried to stay focused, no, she tried to look like she was focused on his conversation. This was becoming difficult. Too many memories tonight.
A callused hand landed on Dath's shoulder in a brotherly fashion. The man with the ponytail stepped slightly between us, towards Dath.
Katara glared at the back of his neck.
He leaned down to Dath's ear.
"You might want to chase someone your own age, kid."
Dath looked startled, but slipped from his seat and slunk away. The ponytail flopped aside, and he seated himself in the empty seat.
"You've gotten promiscuous."
Katara crossed her arms and scowled.
Zuko smiled.
Reviews welcome.